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Beyond addictive!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I think that Michael Ansel (the creator) is a genius. This game is awesome on so many levels, it nearly defys description. Not quite a platformer, not quite an RPG, dont call it a cinematic game, not a stealth game- it really belongs in a class by itself. Yeah! I suppose you could call it an "art house game" if that can even come close enough.
Beyond Good and Evil will consume you with its quirky sense of humor, towering intrigue and likable characters. Hillys is a world that is fleshed out so completely that I want someone to send me a travel brochure so that I can book a trip on the next plane. That is after the whole alien-invasion thing can be cleared up.
This game is more suited to more mature players- not because of its subject matter- just based on its gameplay mechanics. While not a true platformer, you are required to find objects and collect pearls and take pictures in order to advance the story. Unlike a platformer you must sneak around, avoid detection, infiltrate government compounds and expose dirty little secrets about the Alpha Sections- the supposed protectors of Hillys.
Oh, and you have to do all this whilst taking pictures of EVERY species of organism that inhabits your wonderful planet. See, you dont get paid unless you take the pictures and send them to the science center.
Without the money, how will you ever be able to customize your hovercraft and buy life restoring snacks and upgrades to your special attack and sensors to help you find even more goodies and animals? See, photography really is profitable.
And that camera of yours comes in handy to expose said government lies and provide proof that the Alpha sections really are up to no good...just shoot the photo, send it back to the IRIS network (secret underground association) and then the govenor will help you out as well...man! More plot twists than a James Bond movie...
This game is a wonderful addition to any library, but be prepared to spend some quality time with this bad boy...the story gets pretty deep and convoluded quite early on, and it only gets more twisty as you progress. While the difficulty level is not off the scale, younger players will become frustrated quite quickly by the learning curve and objectives required...no hop-n-boping allowed through this game.
I would suggest that anyone who liked Metal Gear Solid, Ico, and Jak II should pick up this game. Like the above mentioned titles, this game spans many genres and does a wonderful job at holding its own. Great game and definatley worth the money spent for it!

Alien Bacon

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: December 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A latecomer to the action adventure genre, beyond good and evel adds some special twists and turns to a genre that is often hackneyed. On the planet Hillys, where people can be animals, and animals people, Jade, a young woman is raised by Pey'j, a pig person who is part father image, part inventor, and part revolutionary. Hillys is caught in the throes of a war with the alien Domz, and are very much under the control of the military, especially as manifested by the Alpha Sections.

While the Alpha Sections are supposed to be protecting the people, they often fail. Too often, according to the IRIS revolutionary force, which claims that the military seems to have several extra agenda. Jade, who makes her living as a freelance photographer when she isn't helping Pey'j raise the orphans of the war, is drawn into the conflict by a series of assignments. She soon finds herself fighting for the lives of her friends.

The story unfolds with a light, tongue in cheek flavor (with a dash of a Caribbean accent) that belies the growing seriousness of events. Jade's quest takes her from caves and factories into outer space, as she seeks evidence that will convince the world of the truth. In the process, she fights, gambles, races, and sneaks. Mostly sneaks, as a matter of fact. Jade is a good fighter, but she lacks the firepower to handle an extended conflict. While the game has its share of violence, it cannot be won without a great deal of stealth and problem solving.

From a play viewpoint I found the game very pleasant. Fighting is straight forward and pleasant, and character control is good. I've seen several commercial reviews complain about frame rate, but I didn't seem to experience the same problem. From my viewpoint, animation was fairly seamless. One of the things I particularly likes was that the game allows you to replay difficult sequences without penalty until you get them right. This allows the designers to include very complicated sequences without creating the intense frustration that some less forgiving games create.

Beyond Good and Evil is a complete success in my book. Jade is a terrific role image, and her fellow characters are all endearing, even as they fight the good fight. Seek this out if you enjoy puzzles, stealth, and a good bit of comic mischief.

Great fun, great adventure.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Its been noted by other reviewers that "Beyond Good and Evil" has received hardly any publicity, and I agree that this is a real shame, as this is a hugely enjoyable game. Playing as Jade, you are an ordinary person living in a kind of floating futuristic city who finds herself wrapped up in an attempt to liberate the planet from the oppressive regime that controls it. Advance publicity billed this as some kind of stealth/photography game, but its actually far more than that, more like a cross between Tomb Raider and Ratchet and Clank...and its definitely more fun that Tomb Raider. Gameplay involves exploring caves and ruins, where you will engage in combat with various monsters whilst also solving puzzles to progress further. Both elements here are cleverly and well implemented into the game. Then there are sections where you have to infiltrate the enemy strongholds to photograph their dark secrets and its here that the stealth aspect is employed, which the game pulls off very successfully. Still more variety is provided by a hovercraft which is Jade's means of transport between the various explorable areas, and along with combat with flying ships and monsters whilst in motion, there are also high speed chases plus optional races to be tackled. There is so much variety in the game, such as mini-games held in the city bar, and a side mission to photograph rare and elusive animals that are scattered throughout the world, and although it's not difficult, some of the puzzle solutions are quite ingenious and will tax your brain. There's even an upgrade from hovercraft to flying spaceship in the final stages of the game, which make for some great flying manouveres, not to mention a beautiful view of the planets surface from above as you glide over it. In fact the look of the game is one of it's most outstanding accomplishments. The towns are surrounded by realistic rippling waters, and the characters all look convincing, especially Jade herself, who is a detailed and interesting lead protagonist who displays convincing emotions. There's also a lot of humour in the game, excellently portrayed by the many voices and mannersisms of all the characters.
All in all, this is a pleasant surprise and a joy to play. My only gripe is that it is too short, but then that only means I was sorry when it ended! Pick up a copy and see how many novel and original touches a good game can inject into a over-populated genre.

You know the drill...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Originality? Check
Diverse Gameplay? It's here
Wonderful graphics? You know it

But, unfortunately like great titles like Mark of Kri, Ico, and the Frequency series, this too has gone largely unnoticed by the gaming community. And now, it joins the bargain bin along with the aforementioned games. Good for those who don't yet have it, but bad for the industry in general.

I mean really, if games this good don't sell, can you blame developers for not wanting to make them?

Buy this game NOW

...or wait until it gets cheaper. You'll enjoy it.

Excellent game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I must admit that when I say the main character holding a camera on the cover, I really thought this was not going to be a good game. I couldn't be more wrong, this is a very engaging game, very cool mini-games, awesome combat system and the best part, a really cool story.
If you are looking for a cool action adventure game with a touch of cartoonish graphics (pretty awesome cartoonish graphics by the way), then this is your game.
I must admit thought that the game may slow down a little bit at times, but is so little it doesn't affect the game flow.

Great Game! Fun, beautiful, mature, the complete package.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: January 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Too bad this game isn't selling millions, because it's a great game. Oh well, UBI Soft's loss is our gain. Just check out that price!

Made by the creators of Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil features the same quirky style but aimed at old audiences. You play Jade, a photographer living on a planet under attack from aliens. She suspects the military is conspiring with the aliens instead of protecting everyone, and joins an underground newspaper to find out the truth. I liked the above-average maturity of this games themes of family, love, and loss during a war.

Gameplay is fun, if not a little generic, but the overall package is wonderful. Jade's main purpose is to sneak through military bases and take pictures to expose the conspiracy. As a side-quest, she also collects pictures of animals throughout the world. Jade fights with a staff and plastic disks, fun but utterly forgetable. The hovercraft, however, is insane fun, a racing engine where you feel out of control even when you aren't, and the developers wisely made the hovercraft about 50% of the whole game.

It has a very parent-friendly shine that tones down the violence, which is probably the reason it didn't sell well - the gloss robs the game of some personality. The main character fights will a staff and plastic disks instead of guns and bombs. Funny thing is, the end result is the same, the bad guys are killed violently, so what have we really gained from this approach? It's mostly not important, but this game has a slight "preaching" tone, so you will probably think about it at some point while playing.

There is a ton of personality in this game, little details, mini-games, story moments, but the game is very short, about 10 hours long. Yet overall, you can ignore that, and the game is well worth it's current price.

A Great Game!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is really really good.

-Unique gameplay
-Enthralling storyline
-Interesting and realistic characters
-Beautiful Graphics
-GREAT MUSIC!!!

Too bad it still hasn't gotten get very much attention (Something it really deserves).
BUY THIS GAME NOW!!!
It is definitely worth more than Budokai 2 or any other overly-hyped game (Beyond Good and Evil is not overly-hyped in case you were wondering), and it's less than half the price. Although it may not be the right style of game for everyone, at only 19.95 what have you got to lose?

no respect!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: January 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is prince of persia meets splinter cell. It is so much fun. It has everything you could hope for in a game. IGN, gave it the title, "best adventure game of 2003" That is respect. Nobody bought this game so now it's only 20 dollars. Buy this game NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Don't wait, don't rent it, just buy it and thank me later.

A Rare Gem Indeed!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

There are certain games that manage to slide in under the radar and go unoticed by the gaming public. Ubi Soft's Beyond Good and Evil is one of those rare games that does so many things right it's hard to imagine why more people aren't playing it.

The main character, Jade, is a freelance reporter on a planet named Hyllis. It's a bit of an odd world, with unusual life forms such as talking pigs, cat people, and walrus like men. Hyllis is under attack by an alien race called the DomZ. The para-military units known as the Alpha Sections are defending Hyllis from the attacking aliens. But all is not what it seems. People are disappering from Hyllis. And the Alpha Sections are suspected of collaborating with the DomZ. Jade, our heroine, is recruited by the underground IRIS Network to uncover the conspiracy.

The games graphics are outstanding. Hyllis is a huge, living breathing world complete with wild life, oceans, and even a moon. Water effects are rendered extrememly well, especially since Hyllis is mostly a water world. The game is also presented in widescreen through it's entirety. This makes it possible for seemless transitions from the action to cutscenes. This is really a nice looking game in all areas.

Alot of people have mischaracterized this game as a "platformer". This game is actually an adventure with quite a bit of stealth elements included. Some of the stealth elements are very reminscent of games such as Metal Gear Solid, Tenchu and Splinter Cell. The action varys quite a bit from stealth to martial arts action. There's even a mini-game thrown in for good measure. Though stealth plays a big part of this game, it doesn't seem tedious. There is also a unique power up system. Throughout Hyllis there are vending machines where you purchase meal packs called K-Bups and Starkos. Other items can also be purchased from these machines. One of the more interesting features is that throughout the game you get updates in the form of Emails from the IRIS Network, and you can subscribe to publications that can be emailed to you.

The controls take some getting used to. The learning curve is about thirty minutes. But once the controls are down the game flows very nicely.

Unfortunatley there's not alot of replay value here. Once you complete the game there's not much reason to go back and play it again. That's the one criticism you can lay on it.

This game is great buy for the new reduced price. In an age where the gaming world is flooded with sequel after sequel, it's great to see a new origial game that really gives you something different for your time and money. I HIGHLY recomend this game.

You must buy this game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: January 26, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I don't know what it was about the packaging of Beyond Good And Evil that made me decide I wanted to play it, but I'm really glad my intuition proved right. BG&E is a really superb game, probably the best of 2003 and one of the top games I've played on PS2.

First of all, BG&E is *original* - and it's really not often you can say that about a game these days. Sure, it's not original in every respect - many of the gameplay mechanics are familiar, but it does have some very original aspects - most noticably the use of the camera, which is a simple mechanic that is very well developed and utilised throughout the game. The second aspect in which it shows originality is the presence of other "NPCs" that you must co-operate with. Nothing like Halo's "here's some extra guns to die for you", these are real characters with special abilities that complement Jade's own, and must be properly utilised (and protected) to get through the game. The use of email communications is another novel aspect.

Most of all though, BG&E is just incredibly well designed and implemented. Varied, dynamic and inventive levels are put together beautifully - never too challenging, but never let you just switch your brain off.

I guess the low price suggests the game isn't selling well, which is really tragic. There just aren't many other games out there of this calibre, so what are people buying instead? I really hope it proves to be a sleeper hit as word of mouth gets out about just what a refreshingly good game it is!

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